Our mind is powerful. It can help us to attain success and make us feel happy or it can take us to the depths of failure and make us feel miserable. So we must learn to control our mind or it shall control us.
But maintaining control is far easier said than done. Quite often, rather than feeling in control of our minds, we feel they are controlling us. Mindfulness, or practicing Tai Ji and Qigong can help us master our own minds; to reduce stress, and improve our emotional regulation, ultimately improving our quality of life in general.
But what exactly is mindfulness? Why practicing Tai Ji and Qigong can help us to control our own minds?
One mindfulness practice is to focus on your breath, or other physical sensations, instead of your chattering mind. Practicing Tai Ji or Qigong is a great way to practice mindfulness. When you practice Tai Ji or Qigong, your mind is focused on your movements or your breath. It helps you to avoid being stuck in delusional, distorted, and negative thinking patterns, avoid depression, and be in a tranquil state. When you are calm, your mind works better.
Trying to see things from different perspectives and train your mind to see the good things in every situation is a great brain exercise. It can bring a lot of joy to your life.
For example, cooking. If you enjoy cooking or not, to some degree, depends on how you perceive it. You may get a lot of fun and satisfaction from cooking if you use it as an opportunity to explore new methods and test new ideas for turning ingredients into delicious meals. It is very likely you will hate cooking and want to avoid it when possible if you see it as a chore.
Our minds can enslave us or empower us. Practicing Tai Ji and Qigong can train your mind to empower you.